Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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I think the actual Garda budget is €1.65 billion.

Why would the Minister borrow to finance cuts in taxation? This again seems to be an incredible ideological position. Sometimes listening to the type of words that are used, "prudence" and so on, one could be listening to the Minister's predecessors back in the 1920s or 100 years ago. They took a very narrow view of the new independent State's finances. It is ultra-cautionary. There sometimes seems to be a tension between the Minister and the Department of the Taoiseach in that regard.

We have had many submissions from all kinds of interest groups. For example, we have had submissions from IBEC on entrepreneurial tax relief and so on. How does the Department evaluate those? Does the Minister foresee any significant tax giveaways in response to them? The Minister has received the same submissions from the property sector and other sectors. Most of us on the committee believe these are not worthy of consideration. We need to run a tighter ship, but we need to be able to raise more revenue and address the great needs of our society.